The Russian Store offers genuine Russian orthodox icons. These exquisite artworks have been crafted by actual Russian monks living and working in Sofrino monasteries, a province near Moscow. They are accented with a gold leaf background and framed on a traditional slab of wood. All orthodox icons are blessed by a Russian Priest before they come to The Russian Store.
Our orthodox icons are executed in stylized, nonrealistic manner intended to reveal the "spiritual" nature of the figures depicted rather than accurate anatomical detail. Background hills and buildings are stylized as well; everything is abstracted from reality to depict a transfigured, timeless world in which material laws of form and substance are transcended.
According to subject the icons are divided into two main groups: painted icons, which depict holy personages and those depicting scenes from the Scriptures or events from the lives of the saints. Orthodox icons, which represent individual saints, have always been the objects of veneration, while icons of another category served as an attractive and effective teaching school with a didactic purpose.
The format of orthodox icons has remained unchanged through the centuries. Since icon painting in Russia has followed traditional canons, icons, representing the same subject, can be so similar that it is scarcely possible to distinguish between them, although they were painted centuries apart.
The icon painting is the most distinctive art form of old Russia, and Russian orthodox icons are the most varied and beautiful of all. Traditionally orthodox icons are painted on a prepared wooden panel. First a cloth was affixed to the face of the panel, then many layers of a primer made of glue and powdered chalk or alabaster were applied over it. After it was thoroughly dried, a design was incised into the surface and that outline was a guide for painting by tempera, powdered colors mixed with egg yolk and a small amount of kvas, a popular Russian drink made of sour rye bread. Dark colors were applied first and lighter colors were applied over them resulting in a slightly three-dimensional effect. Some orthodox icons have gold leaf added to the background, garments and haloes, others have silvery metal leaf tinted to appear gold, some use paint in place of gold leaf. The finished icon is varnished with a boiled linseed oil mixture that brightened and protected the colors at first, but turned dark and opaque later, producing the contrary effect.
There is now a strong interest in Old Russian Orthodox icons, which are appreciated for their spiritual and historical significance and for their unique beauty and charm. The art and religion of old Russia are now better known and recognized throughout the world than ever before in a history.
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